Crystalline Lacrima
by Ataralle
Summary: Elsa, the aloof Ice Queen, is a thriving professional model who's only ever known wealth, power, and prestige, the ideal subject of every scandal. In hopes of improving her public image, her manager instructs her to volunteer in some way. She just wasn't expecting to meet Anna, a hospitalized patient with a naturally weak constitution who's only ever known her white room.
1. I

**Crystalline Lacrima**

By: Ataralle

**I**

_Deep breath… Inner peace…_ She told herself as she inhaled and exhaled. Her hand grasped the handle but she couldn't bring herself to turn and open the door. She knew what was waiting for her, and the idea did not please her one bit.

"Get in already!" a voice boomed from inside.

She wasn't frightened from the sore welcome. Far from it, she was irritated. Having just come back from a rather stressful cruise trip in Hawaii, she just couldn't feel anything else at the moment. Choosing to remain still for a few minutes—if only for her waiting companion inside—she took another deep breath.

"Elsa." It was softer, but venom was clearly audible in it.

"Kristoff," she shot back mockingly, finally swinging the wooden door open and briskly walking in, hand on her hip.

The blonde, bulky man seated in the center of the office on his table sat with one leg over the other, his eyes seemingly holding hints of his recent deep thoughts. He waited for the model to sit in the leather chair before him, his mocha eyes never leaving her figure.

She sat, one leg crossed over the other and her arms across her chest in a posture of disapproval. _Three, two, one, zero… Cue the rage._ She thought to herself.

As she expected, he made his move, shoving a newspaper into her face. His face took on a grim and narrowed look. He was silent, scrutinizing the platinum blonde with hard eyes.

Elsa glanced at the headline and at the corner image, both circled in bright red ink. She assumed it was his doing and remained silent, waiting for him to speak first.

"Another scandal about you. This time, from your trip in Hawaii," he began with a hiss.

The female nodded once.

"Dammit, Elsa. Did you even hear what I told you to do before you left for the cruise?" he asked irately.

Silence.

The model thought that she needed to let him blow some steam before she spoke. Otherwise, she'd be stuck there the whole night arguing about, in her opinion, a rather moot point. She let the clock on her manager's table tick by long enough with the stressed quiet before she decided to open her mouth.

"I heard you," the model finally confirmed as she fiddled with the braid hanging from her shoulder. "You don't honestly believe the rumor, though, do you?"

His masculine hands slammed against his table, ire visible in his eyes as he hovered over the seated blonde. "I don't know _what_ to believe! I told you to keep a low profile!" He held the paper back up, pointing to the blurry image of two women kissing and the front page headliner saying '_Ice Queen Steals Again!_' in bold. "_This_! This is not exactly what I would call _low profile_!"

"Look, Kristoff. It isn't exactly easy to pull away secretly at the dead of night with paparazzi at every turn, on a _yacht_. What was I supposed to do? Dive into the waters?" she retorted in a clipped tone.

"Of course not! But, _kissing_ someone wasn't something I expected for you to do, either!" Kristoff bellowed as he swiped his hand through his shaggy hair in frustration. "Why can't you just understand that your behavior affects not only you, but your agency? It reflects badly on all of us when you cause uproar about things like this! Now, everyone will think that you're really trying to steal someone's wife! You don't even _like_ women, for Pete's sake, Elsa!"

"You don't know anything about me, manager," Elsa hissed through gritted teeth. "And another thing; _I_ wasn't expecting to be kissed by one, either!"

With an irritated groan, he yelled, "Why can't you just do what I say for once?! I'm trying to keep this agency working even with all the debt, but you're focusing all your efforts on breaking down every solid foundation I finally manage to scrap together!"

The platinum blonde's complexion took on a grave expression. "I'm the one who keeps this agency running…" she told him dully. And it was true. She was their ace, and only real asset. She knew Kristoff acknowledged that, too.

The man fell dead silent. Collapsing into his swivel chair in exhaustion, he pointed to the door. "Get out." The command was soft, not like all his earlier outbursts.

But still, Elsa got up, donned her amethyst scarf and ebony coat, flipped her hood up, and walked out with a small _thud_ as the door closed_._

Her manager's shoulders slumped as he leaned forward onto his table, elbows propped. He contemplated his next course of action, and arrived at the conclusion that Elsa, the Ice Queen, needed serious attitude adjustments. _Not to mention a better public image._ He firmly decided that, as her manager, it was his job to make it happen.

His eyes landed on an advertisement on the newspaper and he considered it a moment after reading. He supposed he could give it a shot. With furrowed brows, he set to work. Reaching over to the office phone beside his nameplate, he dialed the number on display at the corner of the paper.

"Hello, this is Kristoff Bjorman from Frozen Industries," he said into the phone. He twirled his chair around to face the window behind him and looked at the blue skies. "No, no. Nothing of the sort," he laughed good-naturedly. "I was calling to enquire about your ad. Yes, that one. Well, I have a candidate in mind for it. I think she would fit the bill rather perfectly. She's eager to assist. Yes, that would be fine. No, she wouldn't mind. Alright, thank you. Have a good day."

He returned the handle into the cradle and pulled out a post-it note from his drawer. After jotting some things down, he stood from his chair and put on his coat. Covering his head with his wool hat, he exited his office and locked the door.

* * *

Dreary white was all the eye could see, save for the one wall where curtains draped over an average sized window overlooking the parking lot by three floors. Right beside it was a lone chair that stayed empty through the years. In the center of it was where she sat, as always, on her plain bed. The small television that clung to the pole extending from the head of the bed had long since forgone its use. She just simply did not like staring at the miniature box for hours on end.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Hello, Anna, dear," a nurse came in, holding a pile of books in her left arm and a tray of what looked to be food and medicine in the other. "It's time for your daily vitamins."

Anna managed a small smile as she watched the lady set the books down on her lap, followed by the tray on the table attached to the bed. "Books again?" She never really liked books and always set them aside, but the nurse had a habit of bringing some to her everyday.

The nurse laughed a bit, stating, "You don't go outside and you don't watch TV. You can't stay under a rock forever, Anna. Read some things." Her hands set to work on opening the multiple containers on the tray and emptied one from each. She handed them all to the redhead with a glass of water and urged her to take them.

"Ugh," the patient grumbled as she downed the last one. "I hate the bitter taste."

"Eighteen years and you still haven't acquired a taste for them. That just means they're _that_ bad," the nurse joked, rubbing the teen's head. "Try to do something aside from staring out your window all day, alright?" was all she said before she left the room.

Once gone, Anna traced the linings and the edges of the first book, feeling the hard cover as she spouted out the blue wordings, "The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald." She was sorely unimpressed by the cover picture. Flipping it over, she skimmed over the summary and grimaced. This was definitely not her type of book. She tossed it aside and moved on to the others, reading them off, "The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer... Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad... Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe... Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See..."

_None_ of them looked worth it enough to read, in her opinion. So, her eyes shifted like they always did to the window, the only thing in the room that connected her to the outside world so foreign to her. She idly noted how the sky was clear, the cumulus clouds puffy and showing favorable weather in the late afternoon. Leaves were rustling and being blown by decent winds, the autumn season finally displaying signs of its presence in late October. Anna thought for sure that this was the ideal weather to be flying kites in.

Setting the blanket aside, she walked to the window, letting everything soak into her head. Then, her gaze drifted to the books still on her bed and as if a hamster running on its wheel made something click in her head, she gathered them up in a pile and set them on the chair to the side of the window. Opening them up, she tore pages from alternating books and began folding against the glass. When she finished, she set the completed project aside to work on more.

Anna kept count, but then she lost the number when she went beyond forty. Folding a few more, she finally stopped and looked over at her collection of airplanes. Making them was one of the very few memories she had with her parents before they got consumed in work, but she enjoyed making them. If nothing else, she found comfort in knowing she could still make them after so many years.

She unlocked the window and slid it open, grasping the frame with both hands. The scent of nature and renewal filled her senses, bringing back the nostalgic essence it gave her time and time again. With a wide grin, she took hold of one plane, tilted it from side-to-side, and contemplated. With a dreamy sigh, she let it soar and ride the wind.

The paper plane glided farther away than she anticipated and she couldn't even see where it landed. Beaming, she grabbed two more and tossed them out to follow. When she failed to find out where those landed, too, her face grew motivated. She repeated the cycle; grab, toss, watch, until just one was left in her hand.

"Hm, that was fun," she told herself with a satisfying smile. Settling herself in the chair, she played with the plane. The day was ending, she knew. And come tomorrow, a new day with exciting things to follow for everyone... except her; it would never happen to her. She felt disappointment creep into her heart. "Another lonely day tomorrow..."

When she let her eyes wander to the paper in her hands, she noticed that despite it being in the form of a plane, it still made coherent sentences. She read it aloud, "I was within and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life..." She tossed it over her head and out the window, a frown on her lips. "Doesn't that describe me a little too well...?"

She never turned to look where that specific plane landed. All she could muster the strength to do at that point was make her way to bed and fall asleep.

"Nothing to look forward to," she mumbled into her pillow as her eyes slowly shut. "Nothing at all..."

* * *

After leaving the agency building and driving away from her fallout with Kristoff, the model just wasn't in the mood to return home. So, she spent some time driving around and stopping in random stores she passed by on a whim. She even bought some videogames, which she hadn't purchased in forever. It brought back fond memories, if nothing else.

She, of course, chose to ignore all the hushed whispers around her whenever she entered a shop. After three years of modeling and being on multiple media with the majority written and told about her being lies, she just became used to the gossip and constant presence of eyes behind her back. They never bothered her anymore.

When she had circled around the neighborhood at least three times already, she decided that driving wasn't distracting her enough. She parked at a public park and stepped out. She looked around and noted the colorful trees and open area with multiple lit lamp posts. Because it was night and rather chilly, no one was even there. Elsa basked in the silence as she walked down the sidewalk, hands in her pockets.

The breeze was starting to bite, Elsa realized. She adjusted her scarf to cover the majority of her face. The last thing she needed was having to worry about chapped lips and bleeding. As she did that, she caught sight of paper sticking out of a bush. A frown appeared on her face. She hated when people littered. Arendelle City was clean and rich. She couldn't understand why people would intentionally drop garbage everywhere when there were clearly trashcans available.

She trudged over to the bush and plucked it out before crumpling it up and stuffing it into her pocket. As she continued her walk, she ran into more paper. She swore that there was at least twenty when she turned to see if there was more after finding the second one.

A growl escaped her lips. "Why do people not recycle? What a waste!" She rolled up her coat sleeves and began to gather them all into one arm. When she picked up the fourth one, it dawned on her that each of the paper she picked up were actually airplanes. With brows knitted together in bewilderment, she took one from the ground and went over to a nearby bench. After dropping her pile into it, she sat and looked at the one in her hands.

Luckily for her, the architects who built the park knew people actually wanted to see things when they were sitting down, so a lamp post was brightly lit above her, allowing her ease of sight.

"The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others," she read aloud the only clear sentence on the plane. She hummed, "Isn't _that_ the bitter truth?"

When the winds began to pick up, some planes began to fly away, so Elsa quickly gathered them up again and halted. She stood in place for a minute in silent deliberation. She sighed.

Stuffing the plane she read into her pocket, she held the others to her chest and ran to the nearest set of cans, promptly emptying the pile into the one labeled 'recycle' with the universal triangle logo. She jogged back to her car, never taking a look back.

Once she arrived home, she dumped her coat on the sofa and kicked off her boots. Taking a look around at her rather humble suite in the apartment she was renting, she came to the realization that she needed to do some serious redecorating. Or, if not that, then a new home entirely. She plopped into the sofa beside her coat, not wanting to think about anything more. Popping in the new videogame she bought, she played the night away. In the past, games had always relaxed her. What better to take her mind off things than that, she rhetorically asked herself.

The blonde spent the entire night playing, keeping her character of green clothing with sword in his left hand and shield on his right arm in sight. Before long, sleep claimed her and she fell asleep to the sound of an ocarina from the monitor, the controller still in her hands.

* * *

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

"Elsa! Open the door!"

Blue eyes abruptly opened at the thrashing from outside her door. She looked left, then right, trying to get a bearing and an inkling as to where she was. Noting the dully sponge patterned walls of light orange and the glass sliding door of a veranda beside a pot of flowers, she finally remembered where she was. "Fuck, I really need to settle down one day. It's sad when I can't even recognize my own place," she murmured to herself, slicking her hair back from out of her eyes.

"Elsa!"

She heard another few banging noises. If she didn't want to have to pay extras for any damage done to the door, she told herself she needed to get up off her ass and let her impatient manager in.

When she did just that, the blonde man slammed the door and strutted in. He wore his standard leather coat and wool hat, along with his trademark grumpy expression within the agency. Standing before his charge, he held up a sticky note.

"It is _way_ too early in the morning for this, Kristoff," she hissed, but grabbed the small piece of yellow paper, anyway. She read the contents out loud questioningly, "Arendelle City Hospital, 8 AM-12 PM...?"

"It's the new job I'm assigning you," Kristoff said diplomatically as he adjusted his headwear. "You'll be going there every Monday and Friday from this point onwards."

The model grimaced. She could not fathom who in their right minds would choose some place as bustling as a hospital for any modeling jobs. "What kind is it? Photo shoot? Acting? Singing?"

"None of the above. Just know that I expect you to show up at this exact place and at this exact time," he replied firmly as he pointed to the note in her hands. After a pause, he added with a smirk, "And, considering it's 7:30 right now, I suggest you get over there ASAP."

Her blue eyes widened as she whirled her head to the nearest clock, which was against the wall, and saw that it really was 7:30. With a glare, she spun her manager around and kicked him out the door, telling him sarcastically, "Well, shit, I have to change. Thanks for the last minute notice, you're such a reliable manager!"

The shaggy haired man simply shrugged and did as told, leaving with a simple, "Good luck to you, then."

Elsa could have sworn he said something along the lines of "you're going to need it" before she shut the door and hurried to dress.

* * *

"I'm here!" Elsa called as she sprinted through the double doors. She wore leather boots that reached just below her knees along with a layered skirt, black leggings, and thin, light green dress shirt. She decided she didn't have time to think of a different hairstyle, so she stuck with her normal one of a single neat braid over her left shoulder, bangs windswept.

The receptionist eyed the model curiously. "May I help you...?" Granted, there was no one else in the room so there was no need to reprimand the newcomer for being too vocal, it was still odd to see someone so active in the morning. That made her draw the hunch that she was definitely not a patient here for an appointment. She thought the woman looked familiar, though she couldn't quite place why.

"Elsa Winterdale. I'm supposed to be here at 8?" she began as she made her way to the front table, gasping a few puffs from the earlier rushing.

"Winterdale... Winterdale... Winterdale..." the woman repeated as she flipped through pages in the schedule book. With a surprised look, she asked Elsa, "Oh, you're the one Mr. Bjorgman from Frozen Industries sent, yes?"

The blonde nodded in affirmation.

"Right. You're the one who's going to keep Anna company for the upcoming Mondays and Fridays, huh? She'll be in room S302 on the third floor, already waiting for you." She pointed in a general direction. "You know, when we told her that she would be having a visitor today, she seemed oddly shocked. Please don't treat her too harshly, alright? She could come off as a real child sometimes."

The model gave her a quizzical look, but shrugged and walked off in the directed hallway.

When she reached her destination that read "S302", she took hold of the handle and sighed, turning the knob slowly. She pushed the door open without another thought and was about to step in but something collided into her, _hard. A_n audible groan left her lips when she fell backwards, eyes tightly shut, and laid sprawled on the floor.

"Oh my god!" a voice above her shrieked.

Cracking an eye open, Elsa found a teenage female with auburn hair hovering above her. Greenish eyes blinked down at her in open curiosity. She found the woman's face too close for comfort, but said nothing as she trailed her own eyes down the fair complexion invading her personal space. _Freckles..._ She noted that with slight amusement.

The redhead merely met her gaze head-on before trailing down and settling on her crimson lips.

The two remained in that compromising position for quite a while, none of them able to let a single word out as they studied one another's features.

"Ahem!" someone coughed loudly from a distance.

As if broken from a trance, they jolted upright, shocked. They rectified their clothing with heated blushes on both of their pale features.

Elsa was the first to recover and turned to look back at who rammed into her. _Green pajamas?_ She questioned to herself when she took in the sight of the redhead's attire. "Um..." Okay, that was strange. She didn't know what to say. Elsa Winterdale _always_ knew what to say; she was smooth about her speech and _never_ stumbled. _What the_ hell_ is wrong with me? I've been in front of cameras and live television before. This should be nothing!_

"A-Anna Summersun..." she introduced herself when she finally looked up at the blonde. "I'm sorry about running into you like that! I was just really excited. I wasn't expecting to collide with you like that. Not that you're not nice to run into, you have a really soft body, and—wait, what?"

"Elsa Winterdale," the blonde finally managed to say. When what Anna said registered in her head, she flushed. "Um... Thanks?"

Anna laughed awkwardly as she shuffled her indoor slippers beneath her feet. "So, you're one who's going to be keeping me company every week, right?"

All the model could do was nod dumbly, and she couldn't figure out why. All she knew was that she couldn't trust her mouth to speak any more.

"It's nice to meet you," the younger girl said, holding out her hand in greeting.

Elsa took it, and realized the touch was so very soothing and warm.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Frozen in any way, shape, or form. It belongs to Disney and all that. Though, I did buy copies of the soundtrack and the movie. ;D You should, too, if you haven't already. Lol.

**A/N:** Yo, readers. ^^/ So, this is the idea I've been toying with for the past few weeks. Hopefully, it interested you. First off, the books that were listed off by Anna are all real, and yes, I have read them all among many others, and found them to be alright, some more than others. Here's me saying you really shouldn't rip up books like she did. It was for plot purposes. I'm highly against it, so please don't do it. For curious readers, that quote Anna read about life was from _The Great Gatsby_, and Elsa's quote about society is from _Things Fall Apart._ Alright, so, moving on~ This _is_ rated M for sure in terms of word choice (yes, lots of swearing and mature conversations,) and graphic descriptions. This is going to be loaded with fluff, too. Cause everyone loves Elsanna fluff. Or at least I hope they do, cause I know_ I_ do! For those of you who are wondering what the title is, it literally means 'crystal-like tear'. I do believe Latin is the origin of the word 'Lacrima'. If not, well, I guess my good memory is losing its credibility. *shrugs* Please drop a review for me, I thoroughly enjoy those! ;D They'll motivate me to continue this story~ A virtual cookie for anyone who can guess the name of the game/series Elsa was playing. Lol.


	2. II

**Crystalline Lacrima**

By: Ataralle

**II**

The model who had previously been leaving ran into her manager in surprise. She honestly wasn't expecting to see him at her door after their last encounter. All she knew was that today was Friday and she was headed to the hospital for her two days a week "job", as Kristoff called it. Said job, she later found out, was actually volunteering work at the hospital.

That was when she thoroughly and completely ranted the man's ears off in complaint. Her initial reaction was obviously being livid at being conned into it. Then, when she exhausted that, she told him that she would do it, and promptly left the discussion at that. Kristoff was bewildered. He expected much more resistance. If nothing else, then at least a cold shoulder, but Elsa evidently held no ill will about it.

Kristoff gave her a look of skepticism, eyeing the prominent bouquet of azaleas in her right hand and a large plastic bag in the other. "Why…?" His voice clearly showed he didn't want to know, but felt the need to ask, regardless. He had decided to make it a point and ensure Elsa actually went about her volunteering work, hence the reason why he now stood before her at her doorway.

The platinum blonde shrugged. She didn't have the desire to answer him, but she _did_ know why she bought such out of season flowers yesterday. _Expensive_ out of season flowers, at that. Though, she supposed if she actually looked for the evergreen azalea variety, they would be a bit more inexpensive. "A whim?" she tried.

"So, you just randomly decided to walk out of your apartment today with azaleas in hand?" her manager questioned indignantly. "Call me crazy but I'm not buying it, Elsa."

Elsa's brows knitted together in slight confusion. "You're crazy. I've been whimsical since day one, Kristoff." After a moment, she countered, "Why are you here?"

"To make sure you go to the hospital…?" the man replied, but by the end of his statement, it somehow became a question. "Which I don't seem required to do," he deadpanned.

Waving the flowers in her hand a little, Elsa smiled. "Yeah, I was already headed there."

Kristoff took note of the expression. It was not her usual plastered smile. It wasn't the one she used during her modeling jobs or formal gatherings. No, this one was genuine, and he wanted to know what happened to suddenly change the cold Ice Queen into someone a bit… _warmer._ But, he couldn't bring himself to ask. He decided she would tell him when she wanted to, even if he was beyond curious and eager to know.

"Kristoff?" Elsa called.

The manager started a bit, having been knocked out of his deep thought. "Yes…?"

Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when nothing came out. She seemed to contemplate on something before she opened her mouth again, only to have it close once more. She shook her head. "Nothing, never mind."

Kristoff stood there awkwardly, scratching his head in wonder. This was new. Elsa never stumbled in her words; she had always been eloquent, Kristoff knew. He deeply respected that part of her, seeing as how it saved their agency on multiple occasions from nosy reporters. _Strange…_

"Well, I'll be going now. Anna wants me to actually be there on time today since we only had an hour and thirty minutes last Monday. Of course, that was because of a certain _someone_ not telling me about this arrangement sooner," Elsa said pointedly without any real feelings of anger, giving a small wave as she walked off.

"Kay…" the man returned with a tiny gesture of his own as Elsa's figure disappeared from view. "There'e something going on..." he told himself with confidence.

* * *

The model steeled herself. For what, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she felt her nerves frizzle. Her hand holding the azaleas hovered on the surface of the wood as she took a deep breath. Releasing it, she knocked three times.

"Yes, come in!" Anna's voice flitted in answer. It was laced with unconcealed excitement.

"No, don't come in!" another hastily exclaimed, sounding quite alarmed.

Elsa's lips twitched. _What's going on?_

"Don't listen to her! Come in, Elsa!" Anna enforced, her voice ringing jovially.

The model smiled a little to herself. "Sorry to intrude," she stated as she opened the door and stepped in. When she was met with a partially naked Anna on the bed with a nurse behind her rubbing a rag against her back, she halted. Her mouth was agape as her face turned scarlet. Wide-eyed, she made a full one hundred and eighty degree turn and rushed out, slamming the door with a reverberating _bang._

Anna, who held the blanket to her chest arched a brow. It's not like she was without any clothing. It was just that her nightgown was pooled at her waist and her bra was off. So, she honestly didn't see anything wrong. _That was... _Her thought stopped as she groped around for the right adjective. _Unexpected, awkward...?_ _No, that was_ cute. Very_ cute!_

"I told her not to come in..." The nurse muttered as she removed the rag and plopped it into the kidney basin on the table. "And you, young lady. Think about what your're doing. Miss Winterdale is not used to volunteering. In fact, it's her first time. And you just met her last Monday. Take things slowly, otherwise you'll scare her off," she chided lightly with a pointed finger aimed at Anna.

The redhead nodded with a smirk playing at her lips. "Yeah, okay." When the nurse began gathering the materials for her bath, she asked, "Can I get Elsa?"

"It's 'Miss Winterdale' to you, missy. She's three years older than you, after all," the nurse answered with a smile. "And no, I'll bring her here for you. Just sit back and relax. You're going to strain yourself."

Anna pouted as she redressed and made herself look presentable. "Okay..."

The nurse walked out. "I'll be back later with your medicine, alright?"

After five _long _minutes, in Anna's perspective, the platinum blonde finally appeared, taking slow steps as she came in. "H-hi...?" she greeted awkwardly, her face still maintaining a tinge of pink.

"Hey!" Anna chimed. "Come in!"

Sheepishly, Elsa coughed and mumbled, "I'm sorry about coming in while you were, uh... You know..."

Anna guffawed. An enormous chuckle escaped her throat as she dismissively waved it off. She had a feeling today was going to be a good day. "It's fine! I said you could come in!"

The model allowed herself to grin, feeling slightly better from seeing the redhead's cheery mood. "These are for you," she said, holding out the azalea flowers of mixed white, pink, yellow, purple, and red to the patient. "And I brought some materials I thought you might be interested in," she continued, holding up the bag in the other hand for the redhead to see.

Anna's teal eyes widened at the bouquet. Then, they shifted to the plastic bag, noting how bulky it was. "Uh..." She stared dumbly at the flowers, and her inner mind kicked herself for it. _Grab it! She's waiting!_ When her hands didn't move, she panicked. _It's not hard! Just extend your hand!_ And she did just that, albeit ever so slowly. _Now, grab it!_

Elsa's face grew neutral when Anna made no move. _Maybe it was strange to bring her flowers after all...? But the room is so... It needs more colors!_ Her lips curled into a smile when Anna finally took hold of the bouquet and brought it to her chest.

_See? That wasn't so hard, was it?_ She sniffed the flowers and grinned, pleased with the elegant gift and her accomplishment of normal body operations. _Operations...? Really now, Anna? What am I, a robot?_

There was silence between the two as they just stared at each other.

Finally noticing that Elsa was still standing, Anna immediately pointed to the lone chair by the window and told her, "I'm sorry! It's just... Wow, they're so pretty!" _Good job! You managed to finally compliment her choice in flowers without making yourself look rude or unstable in any way!_ "You can sit down, Els—Miss Winterdale. No need for you to stand."

Elsa tilted her head to the side with an encouraging smile. "Okay."

Anna's eyes followed Elsa's movement, taking in how the model moved with grace. She tried to focus on something else entirely, but her eyes kept trailing back to Elsa as she scooted the chair until it was right beside the bed. If only to distract herself, she idly asked, "So, why azaleas?"

Elsa smiled as she sat down. "Maybe I'll tell you later?" she jokingly supplied.

Anna gave her a suspicious look before settling her gaze on the flowers in her hands.

"Oh, and..."

The redhead's head jerked up to meet azure pools. "Y-yeah...?"

Elsa beamed. "Call me 'Elsa'. I feel strange with you calling me so formally. I'm not that old, you know."

Anna blushed. "H-how old _are_ you, E-Elsa...?" She wanted to kick herself. It was so long since she had anyone to just freely talk to, she ventured she must have forgotten how to speak properly. _Stop stuttering!_

The model gave her a curious look, gauging Anna's features and coming to the conclusion that she expected a true and complete answer. "Guess?" She decided to play a little.

"Erk..." The patient visibly stiffened at the notion. "I'd rather not... Not that I don't want to know your age, cause I do. I wouldn't ask otherwise. I mean, it's not like you're _that_ old, right? Or, um... I mean, you look really young!" Crimson began to bloom on her cheeks as she rambled on, flailing her hands about self-consciously, "Oh my god, this is so awkward! Not _you're_ awkward, cause_ I'm_ awkward. You're _gorgeous_—Wait, what?"

A snicker passed through the model's lips. Anna, she decided, was very entertaining. Even if she wasn't really going for that, her stumbles were quite endearing. "Twenty-one," she managed out in between giggles. "And you're eighteen." She didn't ask; it was a statement of fact, as far as she knew.

The patient huffed, pouting as she gave Elsa a pointed look. "That's not fair."

"I'm supposed to be taking care of you and keeping you company, remember? If I can't even remember your age, Miss Summersun, then it'd be rather bad," the model explained, patting the mop of red on Anna's head in play consolation.

_I guess she has no intention of calling me by my first name. _Anna wilted a bit from that realization but her ears perked at what the model meant. "Take care of me...? I thought it was just visits."

Elsa shook her head. "No, I'm supposed to keep you company _and_ take care of you. My manager signed me up for being your candy striper, apparently. So, it's my duty to make your stay here enjoyable."

"Candy stripper?" Anna's eyes widened at the idea. She must have heard wrong, but the gears in her mind churned with images, regardless. A heated blush spread across her freckled cheeks, wondering how that was supposed to work. _Oh my god, what?_

"No, no. Candy _striper._ You know, volunteers in a hospital?" Elsa hastily shot her imagination down, her own face lighting red at the implication of Anna's words. "Anyways, a candy striper is supposed to help you have fun while you're stuck in the hospital." Holding up the forgotten bag she brought, she added, "Which is what this is for today. Aside from being filled in on your basic needs, I thought you should have some sort of fun."

"What is it...?" Her voice held a hint of suspicion in it.

"Here, let me take that first," the older woman said as she took the flowers from Anna and took out a vase from the bag.

"You bought a glass vase?" Anna inquired, her brows rising to her hairline in disbelief. "How did that bag even hold up the weight?"

Elsa giggled. "No, I asked the nurses for one before coming in here. And for the record, plastic bags are pretty durable depending on where you got it from." She unpeeled the plastic keeping the floral decorations she readied yesterday together and placed the flowers in the vase. Stepping out to fill it with water, she returned not a minute later and set the container on the windowsill. "There, beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl." She winked at Anna.

The redhead laughed, face slightly flushed. "Thanks," she jokingly retorted with a nudge to Elsa's ribs when she finally sat down.

"Prepare to be amazed," Elsa commanded as she placed the bag on Anna's lap.

Anna looked at it expectantly. If anything, she was expecting a frog to pop out or something. When nothing happened, she shifted her eyes to Elsa. "For what?"

"We're going to work on finding you a hobby," Elsa declared with a wide grin, placing the contents down on the redhead's bed table. Scattered about were charts and a miniature telescope set. "Or just something you could do here aside from watching your window."

"A hobby..." the redhead repeated dully. She just lost her enthusiasm as she continued to rove her eyes over the items Elsa brought.

The model didn't waver. She seated herself beside the patient and said, "When we met on Monday, you told me you're bored every day. The nurse tells me you don't do anything but stare out of your window."

"Because that's the only thing I _can_ do while cooped up in this place," Anna grumbled. "And for the record, I used to do other things, too."

"Which is why I'm hoping you find a hobby out of the things I bring you," Elsa retorted with an encouraging grin. As she lined up the materials of her first attempt at luring Anna into taking up a new habit, she asked with a curious look, "Used to do things like what?"

Anna smirked, stating proudly, "Ice skating."

Elsa's brows rose in genuine surprise. "Ice skating...?" She wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah. I've always loved winter. I used to ice skate all the time. But, now I can't," Anna said, her voice growing sour by the end of her statement. The disbelieving look that flitted through Elsa's features stung more than anyone else's in the past, causing her to frown ever so slightly.

The blonde felt like she unintentionally intruded on a personal level Anna didn't want to go into and hurriedly tried to deviate away from it. "W-Well, I heard you like nature?" It came out more of a stammered question than her intended statement.

"Yeah, I do," the redhead agreed with a small nod.

Elsa gave her an obnoxious grin as she took out the telescope set and, after skimming through the instructions manual, assembled it beside the window. After patting her hands together in a show of completion, she turned to the patient with hands on her hips, declaring, "We're going to go stargazing today!"

A red brow arched at the model as she deadpanned, "It's still morning."

Flushing in embarrassment at how ridiculous she must have seemed saying that in broad daylight, she quickly stuttered out in clarification, "I-I meant t-tonight, of course. Right now we're just going t-to uh... Go over star charts and..." Her words halted as she thought of an intelligent word to sum up her sentence. "Stuff..." she finished lamely after a moment. _Very articulate, Elsa!_ She resisted the urge to face-palm.

The redhead laughed loudly, clutching her stomach as it began to sting from her sudden fit of hysterical laughter. The last time she remembered being so elated was when she was still able to play outside. This was a pleasant change from her usual solitude. To her, the white room she inhabited didn't seem as bad at the moment, compared to how it always did. She knew it was because of the blonde's radiating presence.

Elsa coughed, trying her best to will the crimson off her face, but failed miserably when all that did was make Anna howl even louder and bring tears to her eyes. "Miss Summersun, please."

The redhead gasped continuously, trying to catch her breath, "S-sorry, sorry, just—Hahaha!" She clutched onto a pillow and buried her face into it, shaking her head furiously. Her attempts at making her chuckles die down weren't exactly working.

"Miss Summersun..."

Taking deep puffs of air, Anna finally pulled her head back up and grinned. _That was so cute,_ she told herself. "O-okay. Sorry. Okay, yeah... I'm ready. Sorry, you were saying?"

Elsa could still see the quivering of Anna's lips in restrained laughter, but sighed in gratitude and said, "We can't really go stargazing if we don't know what we're looking for."

"So, how does that work?" The patient's eyes took on a twinkle of curiosity as she asked. "Especially when you're only supposed to be this candy stripper—"

"—_Striper_—" Elsa corrected pointedly. She swore Anna just preferred the notion of strippers. The thought made her laugh to herself.

"—Right, _Striper... _Candy striper till 12?"

The model smiled, glad to know that Anna was finally beginning to show some interest. "With star charts," she answered, holding up one of the simpler charts she brought. "We'll just do constellations for now since I'm off for the whole day today. Consider me a visitor after 12," she added with a wide grin.

Anna mirrored the expression with apparent eagerness. "Oh... Okay. I figured we'd use those charts, but _how_ do you use them?"

Elsa smirked and stated, "Like so." She pointed out how the chart had two layers. The top layer was clear except for the markings of connected lines to emphasize the depicted constellations and was capable of being flipped up to see the base layer. The second layer was a base of tough paper, an image of the stars in all its natural beauty. Length-wise, it beat the see-through plastic on top of it because of its small guide on the side, labeling the constellations with names and the major stars in the formations.

"Okay..." Anna seemed to be able to understand the concept after a long and elaborate explanation. "I kind of get it, I guess. I just don't get how _this..._" She pointed to the lined guide on the clear plastic before flipping it over and pointing to the same cluster of stars unmarred by lines. She continued with a huff of exasperation, "could equal _this_."

Elsa shrugged. "Use your artistic vision?" she jokingly suggested. Taking a closer look at the stars she pointed to in the picture, she said, "By the way, that's Canis Major, the big dog. Its alpha star, Sirius, is the brightest there is."

Anna grinned and nudged Elsa a bit on the shoulder. "Look at you, such a geek."

"That's, uh..." The blonde played with her braid a bit, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I can't deny that..." She shook her head in defeat.

"Well, what's this?" Anna inquired, pointing once again at another bundle of stars.

"Virgo, the virgin. Its alpha star is Spica." She paused, taking on a look of musing.

Anna looked at her curiously. "What's up?"

"Never mind. I don't want to seem like I'm completely just an astronomical nerd," Elsa replied with a giggle.

"I like when you geek out?" Anna questioned rather than stated. She'd never really seen Elsa go on a tangent before. She only met the blonde last Monday, after all, but something told her she'd like it. "I mean, you're showing me a whole different world than what I imagined I was even capable of perceiving. It's a nice feeling."

The model smiled at that. "Well, okay. Spica is actually a binary star. That means it's a star made of at least two separate stars, even though they appear as a single one. Not only that, but they're hotter and larger than the sun, too," she added nervously.

Throughout their session, Elsa went over various stars and their formations. She even went in-depth about the stories behind some constellations, including how Scorpius, the scorpion, killed Orion, the hunter, with its poisonous sting. Needless to say, they strayed from topic to topic, never settling on a single object of discussion.

When the nurse came back with Anna's vitamins and medicine near the evening, she paused at the doorway. She furrowed her brows at seeing a head of red peeking out from behind what looked like papers. That wasn't what she was expecting to see by any means. She was ready to greet the usual Anna looking out the window in silent appraisal of the view and the limited nature she saw.

"Hello, there. Ready for your daily dosage, Anna?" She would probably never see the girl read again for a long time to come after today, so she felt the need to absorb the details.

Anna's head poked out from her reading, followed by a head of gold.

_That explains why Anna is reading,_ the nurse thought with a knowing smile as she placed the platter on the table and thoroughly eyed the strange and foreign sight before her. "Hello, Miss Winterdale. I thought your volunteering hours end at 12?" she asked lightly.

The model nodded. "It did. I mean, it does. It's just that I was hoping to show Anna some stars and it sort of needs to be dark for that," she replied with a smile. It was one of her many features made for modeling, though she wasn't personally aware of it. "I'm a visitor right now."

The nurse couldn't place it, but Anna's companion definitely looked familiar. She shrugged it off. There were a lot of gorgeous blondes running around in the world. One in the hospital room before her didn't amount to anything, she figured. "Well, here you are."

Taking the multiple pills from the woman, Anna gulped it all down, chugging water in a hurry. Placing the cup down on the platter, she returned to the engrossed reading of... The nurse reeled back, flabbergasted. _A star chart...?_

Anna spoke animatedly to the blonde, pointing things out with a pout that would later transform into a smile or a frown, depending on how the platinum blonde responded.

The nurse beamed warmly. She took comfort in the fact that Anna found a friend in the volunteer in such a short amount of time. She took the platter and walked out of the room undetected, softly closing the door shut.

"So, this _isn't_ Sagittarius?" Anna asked again, a pout adorning her lips.

Elsa shook her head. "Nope."

The redhead frowned. This was interesting, just beyond frustrating. "Difficult..." she grumbled.

Elsa chuckled softly. "Well, guess what?"

Anna looked at her through her peripheral vision, expecting another informative talk.

"Stars are out," the blonde commented suggestively with a finger pointing at the lone telescope she had previously set up.

The patient jumped out of her bed, excitedly cheering. After the long wait and frying her brain with necessary information, she would finally be able to look at the legitimate view.

Making her way over to the exuberant redhead, Elsa grinned and adjusted the lens, fiddling with the knobs alternatively to get the right focus in. She asked, "What do you want to see?"

"The sky!"

Elsa paused and blinked at Anna dumbly. "Um..."

"The sky's awake, so I'm awake! So, we _have_ to see it." Anna gave the blonde an impish grin.

The model shrugged. Whatever the redhead wanted, she supposed, and began to adjust the view of the lens accordingly. _It's her telescope, after all._

"It is?" Anna was looking at her with wide eyes. "You're kidding."

Elsa smiled that genuine smile she wasn't even aware she possessed. She spoke her thoughts aloud unintentionally, but she wasn't about to lie to the patient's face. Nodding, she answered, "Of course. It's for your use so you don't get bored anymore." Before she knew what was happening, she found herself slamming her back into the ground with a heavy weight on top of her.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," Anna purred jokingly, having pounced on her guest. Shifting onto her knees so as not to put her full weight on the model below her, she leaned in and gave her a fierce hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

Momentarily shocked at that, Elsa was slow on returning the embrace, but she managed. "You're welcome," she replied tenderly, rubbing the scarlet locks with light caresses.

They didn't have much time to watch the sky, but they made use of what time they did. Soft chatters filled the room as they conversed and laughed, just enjoying the other's company.

When a yawn escaped Anna's lips, Elsa patted her on the head and whispered, "Time for bed."

"You're _kidding_," Anna whimpered dejectedly.

"I could read you a bedtime story...?" Elsa half seriously suggested. She was mostly joking, but...

"I hate books. Actually, I hate reading, in general," Anna stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Elsa grinned. "Well, _I'll_ be the one reading. For you," she countered.

Anna somehow found herself in bed and listening to the tale the blonde weaved through intricate voicing in accordance to the book in her hands. She was tucked snugly in bed and kept her eyes closed in an attempt to sleep.

"... 'We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it... with an era of _peace_ and _kindness..._' the prince revealed." Elsa's voice carried so much emotion as she acted out the dialogue.

Anna was simply enraptured. The storybooks she refused to read as a kid and even now, seemed to simply snatch her attention. _Why is that?_ She wondered as sleep began to overtake her.

* * *

Elsa closed the book and set it aside as she began to stand, taking out her phone in the process. After a few clicks on it, she turned and headed for the door.

"You're leaving already?" Anna whined cutely as she sat back up in bed, burying her face into the comforter in her hands.

The blonde stopped and turned, whispering, "It's 10, Miss Summersun. Visiting hours are over."

"Elsa, you still have ten more minutes before it's actually 10!" the redhead replied stubbornly with a pout. "Besides, you still haven't told me why you gave me flowers. You said you would."

As if just remembering that, Elsa smiled. "Oh, yeah. I guess I did." Her tone of voice sounded reluctant to reveal anything.

Anna waited for her to speak, but she never continued. "Elsa..." she groaned.

"Promise you'll go to sleep if I tell you?"

The redhead seemed to think that proposition over in her head, but ultimately decided to nod in agreement. She was just too curious for her own good.

"It means 'Take care of yourself for me' in the language of flowers. Goodnight, Miss Summersun," Elsa mumbled as she waved goodbye and swiftly stalked out, softly shutting the door behind her.

Anna's eyes never left Elsa's form when she left, and she now stared at the white door. It was the same door that was always locked and kept her inside throughout her childhood. Oh, how she grew to absolutely _detest_ that wooden structure over the years. "But, then again..."

It was also the place where she smacked head-first into the blonde model, a fond and very recent memory. The patient grinned as her gaze drifted to the telescope fixated on the moon's angle.

She got up and looked into the lens, meeting the giant rock's bright form. "Can't wait for Monday..." The words escaped her so suddenly that she never even realized what she said until it came out. And every single word in that sentence was all true, much to her surprise. She laughed as she stood up straight and jumped back into bed. Her teal eyes made its way to the vase of azaleas as she buried herself into the sheets. A blush painted itself onto her cheeks as she mumbled, "Take care of yourself for me, huh...?" The thought had her beaming.

Today was a _very_ good day, indeed.

On the other side of the door, Elsa's face was deeply red as she slipped slowly to the ground. She told Anna what azaleas meant in flower language. It wasn't meant as anything more than a gesture of companionship, right? Anna didn't think it was strange, did she? If she did, she would have chased after Elsa, wouldn't she?

Smacking her cheeks to regain focus, Elsa chided herself, "Get a grip. What's done is done; the past is in the past." She stood up and began to walk, but had to chance a nervous look back. When she saw no sign of the patient, a smile broke through her features and she continued on her way. "Can't wait for Monday," she said to herself. And she had never spoken such truer words.

**A/N:** Hi, guys! :D Sorry for the long wait, but I received such a positive response for this, so I just had to continue it. Thanks for all the reviews/follows/faves! You all totally made my day(s). Anyways, virtual cookies for _Zurrick, _anon _Guest,_ and _Undy Pundy_ for getting the answer (at least somewhat) to my question of what game/series Elsa was playing in the previous chapter, which was indeed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Majora's Mask could've worked, too. Whatever works. Yes, Link was the character. Maybe you guys can guess where that quote is from that Elsa is reading off for Anna as a bedtime story now. Anyhow, hopefully you liked this chapter and will review since I need the motivation to keep updating! It'll come much faster if you actually review. :D Lol. Till next time~ ^^/


	3. III

**Crystalline Lacrima**

By: Ataralle

**III**

A series of flashes lit the room as cameras clicked repeatedly. The cameramen centered around the ace model of Frozen Industries were so enraptured by the elegance before them; their occupation detailed specifically to capture such refined grace and exquisiteness. They planned on following that criteria to the letter.

"Yes, that's gorgeous! Turn a little, give me that sexy smile and half-lidded look!" one instructed, focusing his camera on the model's countenance.

Elsa Winterdale's lips quirked into a smirk as she tilted her head down, her clear blue eyes peeking upwards. Her hand held a pure white Victorian hat to her head, a black feathered emblazon on the side pinned by a small, flowing, crimson ribbon. Like her hat, her dress was of slick material, glittering as the photo-shoot continued, giving off an ethereal sense of beauty.

Another camera operator clicked his tongue demurely. "That's not enough to rouse attention. Observe," he chided his fellow comrade as he approached Elsa. With a light tug of the scarlet ribbon at the collar of her dress, it became slightly undone. "Here, hold and bite," he said as he brought the slightly unraveled cloth to her lips.

The Ice Queen nipped at it, letting the end of it hang slightly from her mouth in a seductive look. She watched as the man used his hands to unbutton the first two clasps of her extravagant white dress' neck collar.

With a scrutinizing look, he tossed the hat aside and undid the loosely braided bun. He let a smirk grace his lips as her locks cascaded in tendrils of gold. Adjusting her bangs a bit and allowing some of the hair to flow over her shoulders, he took a step back in admiration. _God, I'm good_, he told himself smugly. "Now, smile."

Elsa did just that, her hand automatically going to her scalp to sweep the locks away from her face.

"Yes, that's what I'm talking about," one of the other men cheered, his camera clicking so frantically with flashes, it was ridiculous.

"Pose however you want now. You seem to be good at that," her personal photographer instructed with a displeased frown. He didn't like how they just kept ordering her around. She knew what she was doing, and he was sure of that. He'd been her photographer since she first began modeling, after all. He had faith in her.

The platinum blonde turned, allowing her back to face the camera as she looked over her shoulder. Her hair gleamed behind her as she let her casual smirk play at her lips. Once the flashes for that pose died down, she picked up the hat and placed it half covering her face. Her hair fell messily to the side, and her lips were slightly open in a look of appeal. She waited until the clicking of the cameras paused before she turned and curtsied fancifully, taking the side of her dress and holding it up the traditional way. She went on, adjusting her countenance in accordance to her stance as the cameras continued to flash in fervor.

"Alright, I think we're good with that dress," Kristoff said after grabbing a bottle of water from the miniature refrigerator in the lobby.

Another round of clicking for about a minute, and the photographers finally stopped.

"This dress is hard to walk in," Elsa grumbled as she sat down on one of the props for the background.

"Here." Her manager handed her the water. He knew how hot it got in the studios all year round, especially for the model who had to stand there with layers of clothing, so he made it a point to always pack some bottled water for her.

She grinned as she accepted it, adjusting the front of her dress. "Thanks," she mumbled before downing the drink.

Her photographer approached, the grimace still evident on his features. Stopping before her, he asked irately, "Elsa, how do you feel about the other photographers?"

The model shrugged. She was completely indifferent.

"No negative comments? No positive aspects you'd like to share?" he prodded.

Pausing in her drink, she replied, "They could stop with the constant change in my wardrobe, I suppose is my only complaint. Why?"

"They're really irritating me, that's why," he answered vehemently.

Elsa giggled and waved it off. "Don't worry, Marshmallow. They're only here for the Steampunk and Victorian Collection. They'll be gone by the next shooting." She returned to quenching her thirst.

"Stop calling me that," he mumbled as he fiddled with his camera. "You were really on the ball today, by the way. Did something good happen recently?"

The model's eyes shot open in surprise. That was a really random question and she was fighting desperately not to choke on her water as the answer popped into her head in the form of a redhead. Coughing a bit and trying to regain her ground, she asked hoarsely, "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem more... I don't know," Marshmallow said as he searched for the right word. "Compliant? Usually, you'd throw a tantrum and go all picky about the cameramen going up in your space and telling you what to do."

The model shook her head at her photographer. "You're imagining things."

Kristoff smirked at the sidelines, watching the, in his opinion, amusing exchange. _Marshmallow—er, Marshal Mello, is right. Elsa has become a lot more placated and positive in the past week._ And if he was doing his math correctly, it all began with her volunteer work. He had to admit he was very curious about the sudden change of pace, but he knew he would find out eventually.

"So, I'm done for the day, right?" Elsa asked Kristoff a bit too eagerly. "By the way, I want some of those pictures from today."

The blonde man furrowed his brows at her. "Why the sudden need for speed? And the random request for photos you said you hate to even look at."

Elsa grimaced. "I actually cooperated today. You said we'd be done by now if I did."

Marshal smirked and nodded. "Yeah, you did say that, Kristoff."

"And they're not for me. I'm giving them to someone who wanted pictures of me," the model added.

Kristoff sighed tiredly. "First off, you can't just hand someone free pictures of a professional model. Who knows what they'll do with it. Most people in their right minds would sell them for high dough."

"She doesn't know I'm a model," Elsa shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her manager frowned. So, he was right after all; it was for Anna Summersun. "Fine, fine. I'll give them to you when they get processed. And I'm pretty sure they're done with your set of dresses, anyway. Let me go ask and make sure."

The cameraman watched him disappear from view and then shifted his eyes to the model. If he was right, then she would no longer be—_Ah, see? Gone with the wind, _he thought to himself as he observed the empty sofa prop. He chortled and sat where the blonde was before, deciding to wait for the manager to make his reappearance. _You would think he'd know by now not to take his eyes off Elsa Winterdale, but..._

When the blonde man returned, he couldn't help the growl of frustration from escaping his throat at what he saw. Or, in this case, what he _didn't_ see.

"Yeah, she disappeared again," Marshal deadpanned, trying to hold back a grin.

The manager ground out between his teeth, "Lucky for her, she was done for today. God, I don't get paid enough for this..."

The photographer laughed and patted his back in comfort. "I think you're just exaggerating."

Kristoff gave him a bemused look. "Try me."

Marshal flinched. He knew that look on his face, and the twitching of his lip and brows meant only one thing; his ears were about to be subjected to an endless stream of grievances thanks to a certain model.

* * *

Elsa swore she had been standing in the same spot for at least 45 minutes now, and the evening was only going to get darker. She let her blue eyes trail the wide selection on the shelf and considered them, weighing each one of her options. She wore a small smile, glad she was smart enough to change her clothing into a casual blue hoodie with thick white lines on the sleeves, black skinny jeans, and blue converse. Had she stayed in the dress, she would've had to go home and change before being able to shop, and that was just an utter waste of time.

"Excuse me, miss, do you need some assistance?" a worker asked with a plastered smile.

Elsa glanced momentarily to the side and caught sight of a dark haired woman with baggy eyes. _Clearly hasn't slept much,_ she told herself. Shaking her head, she declined, "No, thank you. I'm just debating which chocolate would be good for an eighteen-year-old."

The employee seemed to brighten at that. "Well, I know you said you don't need any help, but if I may be so bold as to suggest something, anyway...?"

The blonde grimaced. It was just chocolate, she didn't need any help, did she? Then, she remembered this was her first time shopping for anyone other than herself. With a bit of a blush adorning her cheeks, she nodded shyly. "Sure...?" she squeaked.

"Wonderful," the woman stated as she clapped her hands, delighted. She made her way over to the far left of the aisle and pointed to the very top.

Elsa looked at the label and read it aloud questioningly, "Ferrero Rocher...?"

The woman was hasty to add in a calming gesture, "I know it looks more on the expensive side, but from what I can tell, it's a very nice treat for teens and young adults."

The model paused and considered it. It really was on the expensive side compared to the other options. Not to mention this woman was probably just trying to con her out of her money and get the best possible sale. "Does it taste good?" she asked in a neutral tone.

"Oh, uh... I'm sorry, I'm not really sure," she confessed, looking really embarrassed as her cheeks began to flare red.

Elsa's brows rose. "You're suggesting something you've never even tasted?" she asked dumbly. That wasn't normal by any standard, was it?

"N-no, I've never personally tasted it," the employee answered nervously as she looked at the floor, as if that was something more interesting to watch. "M-my daughter has, though. She told me it's her favorite. I-I mean, I know I haven't given her some in a long while, but..."

The model let out a loud sigh, immediately prompting the employee to shush. _Jeez, workers these days. On a brighter note,_ _at least she was being honest. How many people in any line of work have that quality, huh, Elsa?_ She smiled at her train of thought.

Observing Elsa's sudden change in demeanor, the woman continued, "I-I guess it's strange, after all? I mean, why wouldn't it be? I just randomly suggest to a total stranger something I've never even tasted befo—"

"_—_No, it's fine. I'll take it," Elsa cut in reassuringly.

Looking absolutely elated after a pause to process what the customer said, the woman began to reach for the chocolate, despite her small figure.

Shaking her head, Elsa said, "It's fine, I'll get it. I'm taller than you, you know?" She used some of the lower shelves as a miniature ladder until she finally got some of the chocolate. She considered just taking two, but at the last moment, decided to get four.

"Four? What a lucky teenager," the woman commented as she guided the model to the register.

Elsa would have taken that as an insult had it not been for the truthful tone the worker used. "No, I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one," she admitted bashfully with a grin.

"Special, then," the worker tried again, tapping away at the keys. "Forty dollars, please."

The blonde rummaged for her wallet as she thought the word over. "Yeah, she _is_ pretty special," Elsa finally replied as she handed the money over.

"Thank you for shopping at A-Mart, where everything is grade A material." The woman gave Elsa her bag of purchased goods and recited the lame motto, as she was always required to when manning a register. "Please come by and shop again."

The model smiled and held out two of the chocolate cases for the woman. "Here."

The worker just blinked and looked at Elsa with a dumbfounded look.

Elsa shook the two containers lightly in emphasis and reiterated, "They're yours."

"F-For me?" She hesitantly took the clear boxes, not really sure if she should actually take them.

"And your daughter," Elsa clarified with a grateful smile. "You said it was her favorite and you never tasted any, so..." Noting the skeptical look being directed at her, she expanded on her words, "Listen, you really helped me out today. If you hadn't shown up, I would have probably been stuck here for at least another two hours just trying to make up my mind on something I wasn't even sure about. So, it's thanks for the assistance."

"But you paid for them!" she exclaimed in protest. "And they're expensive!"

"Which means I can do what I want with them. And price doesn't mean much to me," the blonde retorted. "Take them."

The worker finally took hold of them with two hands and gave a tiny bow of gratitude. "Thank you so much. My daughter will be so happy. She hasn't had these in forever."

The model just grinned. "Thank that girl in the hospital I'm getting these treats for. Under normal circumstances, the thought of giving away chocolate like these would never have even crossed my mind." With that, she waved and left.

"Hospital...?" the employee echoed curiously.

"Idun, get back to work!" the manager of the store bellowed from one of the aisles, busy mopping away at the spilled liquids from an earlier customer.

"Yes, sir!" Idun exclaimed, bouncing off the seat at her register and going to the storage areas to resupply some of the shelves.

* * *

When she got home, she threw her converse aside, dumped her coat on the vacuum cleaner beside the door, placed the bag of chocolates on the kitchen table, and went straight for the couch, collapsing into it. It was another stressful day, and she just wanted to curl up in bed, though she was too lazy to move at that point. Her sofa was quickly becoming her habitual place of rest, not exactly the best thing in the word for a top-notch model.

She groaned as she rolled over onto her back, completely exhausted. _Maybe I should have ordered something, cause now I have to cook..._ The thought made her stomach growl.

She sighed, blaming the laziness she felt. Lounging around wouldn't get her food cooking, so she decided to go rummaging through the shelves until she stumbled upon a pack of instant ramen. She smiled to herself, relieved that she, at some point before today, thought she needed to store some preservatives in her pantry.

While setting some water to boil in a kettle, she leaned against the counter, opening the wrappings of the cup noodles. Then, her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, making her jolt and swiftly take the device out.

"Yes, Elsa Winterdale speaking," she mumbled into her phone trapped between her ear and shoulder as her hands held the cup, working on reading the nutrition facts. She didn't even know why she bothered to read them when she never did in the past. Her fast metabolism made it possible for her to maintain a healthy and alluring body without having to work on diet or exercise. _I must be really bored,_ she bluntly thought.

"Hello, this is Gerda, a nurse from Arendelle City Hospital. Actually, I'm the assigned nurse for Anna Summersun...?" the voice on the phone began, her tone turning to one of uncertainty.

At the mention of the redhead, Elsa dropped the noodles and held onto the phone, her voice turning serious, "Yes, I remember you. Did you need something?"

"Yes, about what you asked before…" she started again. Rustling of papers could be heard, and Elsa assumed she was flipping through them. "The doctors approved of your request, but have posed the restrictions of remaining on the premises and limiting them to three hours a week."

The blonde was satisfied with that response. "What about my plans for the room?" she asked.

"Arendelle City Hospital cannot allow it under normal circumstances. However, we took special consideration because it was Anna Summersun. She's our only constant patient seeing as she's been here since she was a mere five-year-old. Therefore, after much deliberation between the administrators, they have concluded that they will allow that, as well."

"… Administrators?" That was sketchy, if her past experiences dealing with those in higher power taught her anything. She felt the need to question, "What's the catch?"

Gerda seemed to audibly take in a stiff breath of air.

The blonde waited patiently, but the woman on the other side of her phone just didn't seem to want to continue. "Well…?" she urged.

"Well, they never said anything about recompense," she stated quickly.

That was not what she anticipated. "I see…"

"That's all I have to report. Have you any other questions, Miss Winterdale?"

Elsa smiled, feeling somewhat auspicious. "No, that's all I really needed to know. Thank you for taking the time to let me know."

"You're welcome, darling. It's my job, after all. Have a good evening," Gerda concluded in a friendly tone.

"And a good evening to you, as well," the model said before ending the call. The screen that greeted her was a picture she took of Anna before she left in their last meeting. She didn't know what possessed her to take a photo of the redhead, and with such poor lighting, to boot, but she had taken it, and now it was her background image. "God, I seem like such a creep," she deadpanned.

Scrolling through her contacts list, she found the name she was looking for and made the call. "Hey! No, nothing like that. Hm? Actually, I called to ask if you could do me a favor? Yeah, I only settle for the best, after all. You know that most, don't you, Olaf? Haha. Yeah, that would really help. No, it isn't for me, it's for a friend. I'll text you what you need to do. Kind of last minute, I'm sorry. But, it has to be tomorrow... Mm-hm... So, I take it that you'll do it...? Thank you! Yeah. Alright. Good night." And she hung up, beaming away. She could hardly wait for tomorrow. She went on a texting spree and by the time she was done, the shrill whistle of boiling water rang. She hurriedly closed her phone to prepare her rather unhealthy dinner.

It may have been unhealthy, but it was convenient _and_ tasty; the perfect combination for a busybody like Elsa Winterdale.

* * *

"Monday..." she let the word roll off her tongue as she opened her eyes. The lighting in the room had obviously brightened, rousing her from her diminutive sleep. Last night, she had been so excited, clutching the star charts in her arms as she snuggled into the bed. She stayed that way, staring at the flowers and the telescope alternatively. Antsy, that's what she was feeling. So much so that she just couldn't get the proper amount of sleep she should have.

"Yes, today is indeed Monday. You going to wake up or not?" a voice teasingly prodded.

"I'm up, I'm up… I've been up for hours," Anna replied sluggishly as she rose to a sitting position, her eyes still shut. She yawned and found herself drooping forward as sleep began to crawl into her senses again.

"Do you know what time it is?" that same feminine voice asked.

Anna flinched and rubbed her eyes, answering dryly, "Adventure time...?"

A tinkling laughter sounded. "No, it's 8 o'clock A.M."

"8…" The redhead's uncomprehending echo. "8…?" Slight confusion. "8!" she exclaimed, her senses finally waking up. Her eyes met an amused pair of blue orbs and she found herself scooting back from the close face in astonishment. "Elsa!" she squeaked hoarsely. She could feel her heart thumping violently in her chest, and she swore that the blonde would be the death of her one day if she did that again.

"Good morning," the model greeted with a warm and welcoming smile. She was on the redhead's bed on all fours, looking straight at her. She found the whole spectacle of a sleepy Anna to be amusing and had gotten herself a front row seat.

"M-morning," the patient mumbled nervously, still trying to stabilize her frantic heart. When her gaze landed on the blonde, she took in the sight of her attire for the day. She had noticed that Elsa had very good taste in clothing at their first meeting. The second meeting served to confirm that. Today, there was just no point in considering it. That was definitely the case.

The model wore a long sleeved scarlet shirt with multiple clasps running down from the junction between her neck and her right shoulder. Her milky shoulders were visible through decorative openings, and she could see the faintest sign of a ribbon at the back. Her skinny jeans were faded grey, white, and black, the colors mingling interchangeably with one another before they ended with black flats ornately decorated by crystal-like flowers.

Anna's eyes shifted to her own choice of clothing; a hoodie and shorts. Then again, it was her sleeping-wear. So, she supposed she couldn't really compare their styles.

Elsa languidly got off the bed and took a basin from the bed table that was pushed aside every night for the redhead to sleep. "The nurse gave this to me, but I don't really think I can handle, uh… _bathing_ you," she muttered as she felt her cheeks warm. "So, I'll just leave this here and you can take care of it yourself."

"Are you going to just stay here and watch me strip?" Anna teased, sticking her tongue out.

Elsa visibly faltered, looking like she was about to fall. "O-Of _course_ not!" she shrieked. Her face was now a full-blown fire engine red.

Anna chortled in an unladylike manner. "I was just joking," she reassured with a dismissive wave of her hand.

The blonde bit her lip, not being able to buy that completely.

"Mostly," the redhead added in a sultry voice.

And the model was right not to. "Anna!"

The teen startled. "Say that again," she requested.

Elsa gave her a funny look. "Say what again?"

Anna got closer, her face mere inches away from Elsa's as she met those inviting blue eyes. "You said my name."

The model, realizing the redhead was right, began to apologize profusely, "I'm sorry, I wasn't really thinking when… I mean… Wait, no. I'm sorry about that. I just…" She was at a loss for words, and that irked her to no end. _Whatever happened to my eloquence?_

"No, no, I'm not offended. I _want_ you to call me by my first name!" Anna clarified loudly, waving her hands in a placating manner.

"O-Oh," the model mumbled anxiously. "O-Okay."

"Hm~?" The redhead hummed expectantly, gesturing for her to continue.

"Anna…" The name rolled off her tongue with no effort at all, and it sent a tingling feeling coursing through her. _What is _wrong_ with me?_

Anna blushed. She would never admit it, but the way the platinum blonde said her name made her pulse race to an impossible level.

"S-so…" Elsa stuttered out in a bare whisper. She coughed, trying to find her voice.

"So~" Anna singsonged in return.

"I'm going to go step out so you can, um… You know…" The model felt so awkward and self-conscious. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she added, "I want to take you somewhere when you're done."

Anna's brows furrowed and she immediately began to protest, "I can't leave this room. I'm not allowed to."

Elsa smiled as she took out a piece of paper and handed it to the teen, who took it and glanced over the words.

"No… _Fucking_… Way…" the words left her lips in complete and utter disbelief. Her head shot up to look at the model who continued to smile in that all-knowing way. Without even thinking about it, she squealed and found herself hovering over the blonde once again.

Elsa had flinched, not having expected to be tackled yet again by the energized redhead. Her head was miraculously saved from the otherwise harmful blow from the floor by Anna's cushioning hand. Elsa noted Anna was obviously stronger than she looked, having carried most of her weight so the fall wouldn't cause pain.

"You're seriously _the_ best candy stripper I have _ever_ had!" the patient gushed as she hugged the other woman with incredible fervor. She was clearly euphoric. Who could blame her? The blonde just gave her a personally written letter from her doctor that stated she could step outside. It was just for three hours once a week, but it was still unbelievably too good to be true. After thirteen continuous years in her assigned white room, she would finally feel the sun in her face, the rustling of the dry and colored leaves, and the biting breeze blowing through her hair. Words just couldn't accurately describe the pure bliss of the thought of being able to experience that again.

Elsa couldn't resist retorting in a friendly jibe, "I'm the _only_ candy striper you've _ever_ had."

Anna took note of the fact that the blonde didn't bother to correct her volunteer title, and dismissed everything else. She pulled away from the tight embrace, but remained over Elsa. "So, you admit you're my personal stripper?" she joked, eyes crinkling in glee as her face took on a broad grin.

The model blushed at the words. "Um…" _Okay, this is awkward… Did she really just…?_

As if comprehending what she just said, Anna recoiled back, her countenance matching the color of Elsa's. Her hands went up to cover her face in mortification. "Um…" Her voice came out muffled.

Elsa found herself smirking when she noticed the redhead's reddening ears. "If that's what you want," she answered, playfully sticking her tongue out.

Seeing the response through the openings between her fingers, Anna didn't know how to proceed. So, she took the safe route out and asked the question she'd been dying to ask, "How did you do it? I've been asking them to let me out for so long, it's ridiculous you managed it."

The model paused as she sat up and leaned her weight back against her arms keeping her propped up in a relaxed posture. "I found it strange that you weren't allowed to leave this room considering you seem to be pretty able. I mean, you jump around a lot and have so much unspent energy; your situation just struck me as abnormal. So, I asked why it was that you weren't even allowed to roam the premises of the hospital. It's because you don't have an escort."

"What…? That's it? The nurses couldn't spare me even a minute?" Anna asked incredulously.

Elsa shook her head. "No, they really couldn't. This hospital is large, after all. The limited amount of nurses need to cover five floors. Their schedules are made with that exact purpose in mind. And, your condition could strike at any moment, so you _require_ someone to always be with you, or some sort of quick notifying button like you have on your bed. There are no buttons outside that you could conveniently press whenever your condition acts up, either. So, I offered a proposition that met that criterion," she explained.

Anna's mind swam with possibilities. "Which was you accompanying me whenever I went outside!"

"Yeah, but it had to be restricted. You're in here for a reason, after all," Elsa said in affirmation.

"It doesn't matter, you're incredible!" The redhead exclaimed.

Elsa just laughed. "Thank you." After a moment of comfortable silence, she asked, "So, are you going to get off me any time soon so you can wipe yourself off and we can get going? I was serious when I said I wanted to take you somewhere." _Not to mention I have plans..._

Anna jumped, pulling the blonde up with her. "Yes, yes!" she cheered.

The blonde just grinned unabashedly. She realized that making Anna happy seemed to make _her_ happy, too. _I guess that makes __her happiness __my new goal..._ The idea itself was actually quite pleasing to her.

**A/N:** Wow, I'm impressed some of you actually got that quote in the last chapter. :D Virtual cookies for _The Palmtop Tiger _and _veroniqeu_ for knowing it came from Avatar: The Last Airbender. If we're being specific, I'm pretty sure it's from Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation in season three's failed invasion attempt, during the day of black sun. Moving on... There was so much I wanted to write in this chapter, but I realized it'd have been way too long for my liking. So, I decided to just cut up this particular volunteer day for Elsa and Anna into two chapters. Lol, I hope the random scenes of buying chocolate and photo-shoots didn't throw you off cause they're there for a reason. Anyways, thanks for reading. Hopefully, you'll review, so I'll be more inclined to update quickly. Lol. :D


	4. IV

**Crystalline Lacrima**

By: Ataralle

**IV**

She was feeling giddy, elated, gleeful, chipper, and everything else that meant just plain "happy". For the first time in forever, she was twirling through fields of dull rolling grass with the sun in her face and and the wind passing through her locks. She smiled in the way that could rival the sun in its brightness and her demeanor was welcomingly warm as she spread her arms outright like a freed bird.

Elsa watched the scene in a daze, awestruck. _How can someone be so..._ beautiful..._?_

"Elsa!" the redhead called out, the euphoria in her voice ringing loud and clear. She skipped through the fields she glided into upon arrival and stepped before the blonde.

"Yeah?" the model replied as she stopped and looked at Anna, only to find herself wrapped in an embrace. "Anna?" She wasn't sure what to do with her hands, so she let them hang limply to her sides.

"You can't understand how much this means to me, Elsa," the patient said. Her breathing was slightly labored and her words turned into smoke against Elsa's shirt. She stayed there longer than was normal for a hug, her fingers digging into the fabric at the older woman's back.

"Are you cold?" Elsa asked as she took a step back, holding the teen at arm's length.

Traces of snot could be seen trailing from her nose, and Elsa had to bite back a laugh at the sight.

Anna knew she probably looked a little red in the face and perhaps even silly with how dainty she looked in the baggy hoodie she chose to wear. She decided not to let the look of restricted laughter on Elsa's face bother her and replied clearly, "No." Or rather, _stubbornly,_ because she really was cold. Her fingers were like little icicles in her sleeves and she trembled when another gust of air flew by them.

"You are," the blonde bluntly retorted with a hand on her hip, the other holding onto the enormous bag she brought along, slung comfortably over her shoulder.

Anna pouted and pointedly replied, "Am not!" And then, a sneeze came before she found herself sniffling. She really didn't want to admit it because she was afraid Elsa would let her worry stand in the way of her "day out". What's a little cold if she could experience the things she already had? The familiar sound of rustling grass, the feel of the wind blowing, the sun radiating its heat upon her skin... She couldn't just let Elsa take her back inside.

Elsa sighed at the display of bravado. "Just admit you're cold," she grumbled.

Anna was about to protest otherwise, but the warmth that suddenly overtook her form prompted her to shut her mouth. "T-thanks," she stuttered out instead, grasping at the ends of the jacket the model placed on her shoulders and bringing them together to block out the cool. "But aren't _you_ cold, now?"

"Nope. The cold never bothered me anyway," she supplied suavely.

"A-Are you sure?"

Elsa noted the tone of concern laced in that question. She hummed, making a show of inner deliberation as she looked up at the clear sky. She already had a reply, but seeing the way Anna pouted in worry made her feel a sense of warmth she wanted to lengthen. _Kind of like how the sun warms a sheet of ice..._

"Elsa..." the redhead whined, wringing the sleeves of the jacket together with her hands and shifting impatiently.

With a roguish grin, she shifted her eyes back to Anna and held out a hand in invitation. "Well, I guess my hand is kind of cold?"

Anna didn't think twice before taking that offered hand and giving it a grateful squeeze. "Yay!" she cheered, stuffing their interlocked hands into the jacket pocket.

"Come on," Elsa said, pulling the redhead with her as she continued to walk.

They made their way through layers of thick trees, bare with nothing on them except for the occasional large piles of dull reds, browns, and yellows at the base of the sturdy trunks. Autumn had clearly made itself known.

"Elsa, Elsa, Elsa!" Anna repeatedly called as she hopped along with a mischievous grin playing at her lips.

Through her peripheral vision, the blonde looked at the patient and hummed, a sign for her to continue.

"Are you ready?!"

Elsa didn't have much time to react or ask what the teen meant before she found herself falling with Anna. "Anna!" she shrieked in a panic. _What is she doing?!_

"Whoo-hoo!" Anna screamed as she dove into the leaves, pulling the model behind her through their joined hands. Scooping some of the leaves up, she threw them at her blonde companion, who reflexively covered herself from the colorful attack.

"Anna," Elsa grumbled when she finally deemed it safe enough to crack open an eye. Spotting no sign of the redhead, she turned left, then right. "Anna...?" More rustling accompanied by a distinct crunching sound made her raise a brow. "I know you're here."

"Doesn't mean you know what I'm going to do, though!" Anna exclaimed as she jumped onto the blonde from behind, giggling as they tumbled back into the pile of leaves.

"You're so rowdy," Elsa teased as she rolled onto her back.

"And you're so _not_," Anna shot back with a smirk. "Makes a great combo, don't you think?" Grabbing some more leaves, she threw them into the air and watched them flutter by, riding the wind. "The perfect couple..." she mumbled as she turned her head to look at the blonde lying beside her.

Elsa smiled as she met teal orbs dancing with mirth. "Yeah, we're the perfect couple of weirdoes in a pile of leaves."

The redhead laughed as she got up, taking hold of the blonde's hand once again and pulling her up. "You can't fully appreciate autumn if you haven't jumped in leaves yet, Elsa."

"Right, sure~" Elsa said as she pulled some crumbled remains of crushed leaves stuck to her clothing from her earlier tumble. "Thank you." Noticing some leaves stuck on Anna's hair, she began to pick at them, too.

Swatting her hands away, Anna pouted pointedly, "I'm not a kid, Elsa." Without any warning, she flipped her head forward, allowing her braided locks to cascade forward before patting away with her hands, whipping her head back up in one swift motion. "See?"

_Aww! So cute~_ Elsa tried to stifle a chuckle, but it came out, regardless. The increasing pout of Anna's lips made her begin to usher the redhead toward their original destination. "Come on, pouty."

Anna allowed herself to be pulled. "Aren't we going a little too far?" she asked softly as they got farther and farther away from the building.

"Where we're headed is still on hospital grounds," Elsa stated with a reassuring squeeze on their linked hands. "Trust me."

The redhead smiled and returned the tightened hold, telling herself,_ I do... _"I do..." she repeated aloud for Elsa to hear.

The blonde grinned. "Then, you won't mind being blind for a minute, would you?" she asked in all seriousness.

Anna looked taken aback by the question, but quickly recovered and jokingly retorted, "Is that a guilty pleasure of yours? Kinky fetish, but not all that bad in terms of taste~"

Elsa turned beet red and hastily denied it. "That's not it at all," she mumbled as she looked away, completely embarrassed.

Laughter escaped Anna's lips. "I was just teasing," she quipped, grinning broadly at the heated blush on Elsa's face. "Here, is this satisfactory for you?" she asked as she twirled around and began walking backwards.

"You're going to fall if you walk like that," Elsa deadpanned with a crooked smile.

"Then, be my eyes." As if to emphasize her point, she held their joined hands up and stopped before her.

"You sure you're not the one with a guilty pleasure here?" Elsa asked with a playful smile, to which Anna gave her a pointed look in return. Despite her jibe, she did as told and maneuvered her friend to their destination with light tugs in the direction she wanted them to go.

After a few minutes of their continuous hike, Anna questioned in the whiniest voice she could muster, "Are we _there_ yet?"

The blonde laughed as she grabbed the redhead by the shoulders and turned her around. "Behold," she whispered into her ear.

Anna fought back to keep a shudder from going through her body at the tingling breath on her ear. "Whoa!" she visibly gasped and stiffened in awe as she took in the sight of a cerulean lake, clear and unmarred as it filled with rushing water on the other side of where they stood. Afloat on the surface were lily pads and lotus leaves turned brown. Massive boulders and aged logs entrapped with moss littered the area, and she felt herself being dragged to one particularly green boulder.

Elsa placed the bag down and began to take out a blanket, plaid with red and white lines, before laying it on the slightly dull colored grass. Taking off her boots, she plopped onto the sheet and looked up at the redhead. "Are you planning on standing there all day?" A smirk formed on her lips as Anna opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again, and closed it once more before complying, all the while taking on the shade of a tomato.

"Elsa…" Anna started as she tossed her shoes aside and continued to look around.

"Hm~?" the model merely hummed, busying herself with taking materials out of the bag.

"This place, it's—it's _amazing_," the redhead complimented. She was utterly stunned. She'd spent the majority of her life in the very building near this conspicuous lake, and she'd never once visited nor even _knew_ about it.

"Of course it is. You should see it in the winter or spring, it's a real treat," Elsa responded cheerfully as she aligned the food she brought along. Looking up from her handiwork, she added, "This place is my safe haven. It's where I would always go whenever something bad happened."

That caught the patient's attention, and she felt curiosity bubble in her. "How did you even know about this place? No one's ever brought it up before, and I've been here for thirteen years. I'm pretty sure something as grand as this place would have been brought up in conversation at least once considering my strong love for nature."

Elsa bit her lip in what looked like hesitance. "I used to come to the hospital a lot and only about a handful of the staff know about it," she stated simply. When Anna began to open her mouth—no doubt to ask _why_—she quickly asked, "You know there's a legend about this place. Want to hear about it?"

Anna's mouth snapped shut at the interruption. "S-sure…" she supplied softly. _Did I ask something I shouldn't have…?_

"It's a story of true love," the blonde began, shifting into a more comfortable sitting position.

"Oh." That took Anna by surprise. She grumbled, obviously disappointed. "So, it's the usual prince and princess story?" She had a stack of such books rotting away in the dark recesses of her drawer somewhere. They were there for a reason; she found them all to be utterly incompetent as per her taste.

Elsa suppressed a chuckle as she shook her head. "No, no. It's about a princess and a knight, actually."

The patient's lips twitched. That wasn't much of an improvement, in her opinion, but she prompted her to continue, anyway. After all, Elsa managed to snag her attention in their last storytelling session, so it couldn't be _that_ bad, right?

"Once, a long, long time ago, Arendelle used to be a flourishing kingdom, governed by the most beautiful princess imaginable. Unfortunately, Arendelle, with its abundant resources, became a prime target for other countries to attempt conquering. One particular army had a general, a knight rumored to be the Mistress of Ice and Snow."

"Is that what she was called? How she was _addressed_?" Anna felt dread come over her in that instant. She knew firsthand what labels like that suggested, and she hated it. Being called something wasn't all there was to a person, and she knew that. She decided she rather liked the knight, if only because she could sympathize.

"By most, yes. She had many names, one of which was Snow Queen. Because of her _ability_ to command snow and gales, she was automatically shunned and ostracized by her people. They utterly feared her and it wasn't until the duke of her country placed her under his strict regime of an army that the populace was placated."

"What did she do in the regime?" Anna asked, completely enraptured by the unjust tale.

Elsa's lips formed a smile at the sight of her friend's eagerness as she continued, "She was taught to hold everything in; concealing her gift, not allowing anyone to see her wield it. The duke made it a point to keep her on a tight leash. But, that served only to suffocate her, for in the instances where she could no longer control her emotions, her powers ravaged the lands in intense maelstroms of raging hail. When the duke had finally decided that he truly could not control her like he'd hoped to do, he shipped her off onto the earliest boat to Arendelle, where he commanded her to seize the lands."

The redhead sat straighter, rigid with anticipation. "Don't tell me the knight and princess were at each other's throats…"

"As part of tradition, the two opposing parties of the princess and the knightly general held deliberations on negotiations. Needless to say, their views clashed quite violently. There _were_ things, however, that they agreed upon."

"Such as…?"

"Love," Elsa murmured, looking straight into Anna's eyes and seeing those teal orbs that glowed with the same radiating splendor as the word she spoke of. "They believed that love is a force that's both powerful and strange. It brings out the best in people, but _also_ the worst. They both believed in pacifying conflicts through words before weapons and blood. Maybe it was because they were so different in where they stood in terms of alignment, yet held on to the very basic and primary foundations of their beliefs that they were drawn to one another. They had a consensus that bloodshed should be avoided, and so they did. For months, they met over and over again, and each time, they felt more drawn to one another. Their attraction to the other was disconcerting, but neither knew what to do to end it. If they were being honest, neither of them _wanted_ to end it."

"Why didn't they just admit they were drawn to one another and just get together?" Anna asked. It was an innocent enough question. After all, she always believed that love was worth fighting for.

"Because they're both women, for starters," Elsa mumbled disapprovingly at the logic. "Women in their time held no power unless they were royalty, and even then, they still answered to the male power in the male dominated world. The only reason the knight was able to reach her general rank was due to the simple fact that with a wave of her hand, she could bring down thousands of men. Status was another gap between them. The knight was of humble birth, whereas the princess was direct royalty, and as such, expected to marry and birth an heir for her kingdom. There would be an uprising if they were to join together. And then, there was the simple and unadulterated dread towards the Commander of Gales and Maelstroms. They all feared what kind of wicked omen she would wrought upon them."

The redhead's face took on a foul expression as realization struck. "The duke was using her, wasn't he? He wanted her to die there!"

Elsa nodded. "And she was well aware of it. That triggered her self-imposed solitude she kept up through the months upon her arrival in Arendelle. She utterly refused to let the royal into her heart even after all their days, weeks, _months_ they spent in each other's company. At the end of it all, the princess was having none of it. She tore through each layer of facades, lies, illusions… until she dug up the core and the heart of the knight she grew to love. The knight was bare for her to see."

"And what did she find…?" Anna felt like she didn't even want to know.

"Fear," Elsa answered, her brows scrunching at the story as she continued, "She found fear, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, envy… Deep and profound darkness, it was abysmal."

"Elsa, I'm sorry, but this is a _really_ depressing story," Anna decided to tell her honestly as she fidgeted with the sleeves of the blonde's jacket. "So, I'm guessing the knight was rejected?"

The model laughed. "Anna, this is a story of true love, remember?" When Anna merely shrugged, she revealed, "The princess conveyed to her knight how she felt. She pointed out that despite all the knight's flaws and imperfections, she too was the same. The princess herself carried darkness in her soul, and she allowed her obscurest parts to be shown to her chosen knight."

The redhead gasped. She somehow imagined the story to unfold through worst circumstances. She wasn't going to complain, though, and she found herself beaming as she lowered herself onto the blanket on her stomach. She inched closer to the blonde in silent anticipation to hear the rest of the story.

"They consummated their love and decided in all finality that they were to stay together for all time."

Anna squealed in delight, "Aww!" Grinning as she swung her legs back-and-forth in glee, she stated, "That's a sweet story."

_I wasn't done,_ Elsa thought. But, perhaps it was better to stop there since the patient seemed to like the happy, improvised ending.

Anna's teal eyes roamed the line of food prepared by Elsa and her mouth began to water. She was about to grab onto a toothpick holding a piece of skewered watermelon, but stopped and looked at her candy striper expectantly, sending silent requests for approval.

Elsa blinked before she gestured for her to continue with a smile, "By all means, eat."

The redhead's eyes literally lit up as she chewed the piece of fruit. "Oh… my… god… This is like the best watermelon I've ever tasted!" Once she swallowed it, she wasted no time in consuming more, this time, grabbing onto a jackfruit. "Just where did you buy these?"

"Glad to see you approve of my choices. A friend of mine loves to garden and he always brings me fruits and vegetables. I'll be sure to tell him you think he's got the best green thumb ever." Elsa snickered at the patient's constant grab for strawberries, kiwis, and then bananas. "Slow down, feisty pants. You're going to choke."

Anna said something through her full mouth, but all that could really be heard was garbled speech.

"Hm?"

Swallowing up everything in her mouth, Anna repeated with a sly smirk, "I _said_ you'll just have to give me the famed kiss of life." She puckered her lips at her to clarify.

Elsa, who had previously been holding onto a fork, dropped it in stunned silence. Her face was scarlet and she struggled to let words out, but all she could manage was opening her mouth like a gaping fish out of water.

Anna let out a burst of laughter. The blonde was just too easy to tease, in her opinion. That made it impossible for her to stop.

"Stop joking, Anna. _I'm_ going to end up choking. And I highly doubt you know the Heimlich maneuver, let alone CPR," the blonde muttered softly as she grabbed her fork.

"If I did, does that mean we can lip-lock?" Anna asked innocently. As if to emphasize that, she batted her eyelashes with an angelic expression.

"Anna..." the blonde groaned, burying her beet red face into her hands. What was with this redhead and innuendos? It's like she lived for them.

Anna nodded. "Okay, fine."

"Thank you," Elsa breathed.

"How about we share cherries, instead?"

"_W-what_?" The blonde's eyes widened. _Seriously, this girl!_

Holding up the two cherries attached to each other, she said, "So, does that mean 'no'?"

Elsa let out a loud exhale she never even realized she was holding. "Oh, I thought..."

Another smirk was tugging at the redhead's lips, and Elsa stopped mid-sentence upon noticing it. "Yes, what did you think?"

"You're insatiable," Elsa deadpanned and felt a tug at her own lips, forming a crooked grin.

They both laughed. The rest of the time they had together was spent with much of the same events; they made each other blush over ridiculous things, talked of how they were and what they missed in their time apart, and continued to feast on the wide selection of assorted fruits ranging from pomegranates, star fruits, cherries, berries, and random ones that Anna had never even seen before.

When the time came to pack up everything, they walked back to the hospital, their hands in the pocket of Elsa's jacket that Anna continued to don.

"I won't get that jacket back any time soon, will I...?"

Anna merely giggled and continued to walk, swinging their hands together. "Nope~" was the cheeky reply.

Elsa found she had no problem with that, and actually found it to be kind of cute.

* * *

"Stay a little longer," Anna whined.

Elsa gave the redhead a pat on the head. "I have plans tonight. Sorry, Anna."

The patient pouted, her bottom lip sticking out in a puppy look. "_Please_...?"

The blonde hesitated. With a sigh, she mumbled, "I can't."

Anna deflated, letting out a groan in disappointment. "Man, I thought for sure you were the type of person to fall for the puppy look."

"I am," Elsa laughed. "Just not today." Producing two boxes of chocolates from the now light bag, she handed them to Anna.

"Ferrero Rocher...?"

"Oh, you've heard of it?" Elsa was slightly shocked. "I heard it was good. It came highly recommended, so I got some for you since you said you love chocolate. I figured it'd be the best way to end our little picnic."

"Heard of it? Elsa, this brand of chocolate is my _life_! This is the best chocolate _out_ there! Right next to Lindor Truffles, I mean."

"Oh..." Pleased to hear she liked the choice, Elsa said, "Well, they're for you." _I guess that hour long shopping spree for chocolate was worth it, then._

"Elsa, don't tell me you've never had this chocolate before?" Anna made it sound like it was pure blasphemy.

The blonde shook her head. "Can't say I have." She arched a brow at Anna when she suddenly found her lips being pressed against a ball of chocolate littered with chopped hazelnuts. Her eyes shifted from Anna to the chocolate, then back again.

"Eat. I promise you'll absolutely _love_ it," the redhead encouraged.

The candy striper took a tentative nip at the brown substance before allowing her tongue to lap at it.

Before she realized what was happening, the patient found her face taking on a heated blush. This was somehow becoming very erotic as she eyed the way Elsa seemed to give the treat light kisses. _Lucky chocolate,_ she thought in slight jealousy.

Elsa's tongue continuously licked at the confection, the taste becoming apparent on her lips. It was sweet, and she loved it, just as Anna said she would. Without any warning, she took the whole of it from the redhead's fingers and backed away. Holding her hand before her mouth, she chewed and swallowed. A moan escaped her throat as she said, "Wow, that was sweet."

"Yeah..." Anna mumbled dumbly, though she was referring to something else completely.

Noticing something, the blonde took hold of the hand Anna used to feed her and placed the index finger into her mouth, her tongue darting onto it and cleaning the chocolate off. With an audible _pop_, she took it out and did the same with Anna's thumb. She took deliberate care in licking it clean.

Anna, for her part, was red beyond imagining and felt her mouth go dry. "Elsa..." It came out as a moan, and she slapped her hand over her mouth.

The model released her hold and looked to meet teal eyes. "Tasty," she said huskily with a wink. "Thank you for your generosity."

The redhead felt herself go weak at the knees. She was about to make some sort of comeback, but Elsa turned and made to leave.

"I left you a little something for tonight," Elsa stated. "Keep your eyes open, you don't want to miss it. Then again, I highly doubt you will." Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Anna swore she was plotting something, and she ached in anticipation to find out what it was. "Something, huh...?"

* * *

With the phone in her ear, Elsa continued to walk to the parking lot as she chimed in happily, "Thanks for everything. I can't wait to see her reaction. Though, I still say you should have stayed behind and met her. I personally think you'll like her."

"Nah, you know how I am with secrets. I would have spilled the beans without even meaning to."

"Olaf, do you have beans with you right now?" the blonde asked curiously.

"Yeah, why? Marshmallow and I are playing bean toss right now," came the excited reply.

"I said don't call me that!" a distinct voice said in the background.

She shook her head with a smile at the brothers' antics. Olaf meant everything quite literally, after all, and Marshal truly was just a marshmallow; he was soft despite his robust exterior. They made a nice pair of siblings, in her opinion. "I still say you should meet her."

"I will once I find another time I can visit and not have to attach things into her room without her knowledge."

"You make it sound like it's a crime," Elsa joked.

"_Conspiring_ is a crime," Olaf quipped back.

"Well, in my defense, Anna likes it when I conspire."

Olaf laughed on the other side of the line. "I think we all do, actually. This particular scheme is like an extra blast of conspiracy, though. Your Anna will love it, I know it."

"I hope so..." Elsa mumbled as she approached her car. The sound of "your Anna" gave way for butterflies to flutter in her stomach. She had no intention of correcting her little technician and engineer friend. "Anyways, thanks again, Olaf. You really made not just my day, but Anna's, too. And say thanks to Marshal for me. Anna says he has a real green thumb on him."

"Will do~" he singsonged. "Catch you later~"

And the line went dead.

Elsa placed her phone into her pocket with a wide beam. As she hopped into her car feeling like she just conquered the world, she felt vibrations coming from her phone once again. She quickly took it out, not bothering to check the caller ID. Her day was going by perfectly. Nothing could possibly bring her down.

"Hello?" she answered when the phone reached her ear.

"Hello, sweet thing," said the suave voice on the other line.

The grin she had previously worn slowly diminished into a smile, then turned neutral, before settling into a complete grimace. Well, there went her perfect day. "What do you want?" She cut straight to the point.

"Since when was calling your girlfriend a crime?"

The model bit her lip. That voice never failed to antagonize her. "You have no right to say that."

"Honestly, Elsa. Don't pretend you didn't like our little session on the boat." The voice was dripping with seduction.

"Kristoff went ballistic. Of _course_ I didn't like it," Elsa hissed with narrowed eyes.

"I'm going to our spot. I expect to see you there, sweet cheeks."

Before Elsa could respond, the line went dead. She looked at her phone with a deadly glare, muttering a hollow, "Terrific..."

* * *

"Ugh, is it just me or does the taste just keep getting _bitter_?" Anna asked, making a face and sticking her tongue out in disgust. Taking out multiple pieces of the round chocolates, she stuffed her face.

The nurse smiled and answered, "It's just you."

"Well, whatever. I won't let it bother me," the redhead declared with a confident tone, mainly because the sweetness that filled her mouth made the horrid taste die down. Grabbing the papers from her lap, she asked, "Did you know above Ursa Major is the star called Polaris?"

"Ursa Major?" the nurse repeated in uncertainty as she gathered up the medicine and vitamins. "Never heard of it, dear."

"You probably know it more as The Big Dipper," Anna tried again. Her eyes were roving over the stars in the charts.

"Fascinating," the adult replied. "Looks like you're obsessed with stars now, huh?"

"Not _obsessed_," the patient denied. "Just... Well, it's a new... _hobby_. Yeah, that's it; a hobby."

"Elsa Winterdale, is more like it," the nurse said bluntly. "How was your day with her, anyway?" Looking over at the refreshed vase of azaleas, she added, "Nice of her to give you flowers every time she visits."

Anna turned red at the mention of her candy striper. "It was _refreshing..._ and fun... tasty... beautiful... really, really beautiful... and... it was just a lot of things rolled into one. But everything we did made me bubble up on the inside with such _warmth_ and _happiness_. I didn't even know it was possible to feel like this." Her voice rang with such sincerity as the words fell unbidden from her lips.

Gerda couldn't help but smile at the teen's admission. "Say, do you know what azaleas mean?"

Anna grinned at the memory. "It means 'take care of yourself for me'. Elsa told me."

"Yes, but it also means 'fragile passion', as is the legend of Arendelle."

"Legend...?" Anna mused over the idea. Surely Elsa didn't mean it in that context, right? She would have told her if she did.

The nurse nodded as she headed for the door. "Indeed, the fragile passion between a princess and a knight."

Anna tilted her head. That wasn't the same story Elsa told her earlier, was it? "The one of true love?"

"Among other things," Gerda answered as she stepped out. "Goodnight, dear."

The redhead was left pondering over their conversation in her bed before another knock reached her ears. She looked at the door expectantly, but no one opened it. "Did you forget something?" she asked aloud to the one who she assumed was the nurse on the other side. It was strange, though. Normally, Gerda would just knock and come in, regardless of whether or not she answered.

There was still no reply.

Curious, Anna got up and ambled to the door. "Seriously, what's up with you?" She pulled the door back, revealing a man and a woman.

"H-Hi," the man greeted awkwardly with a wave.

"Papa." The word left her lips with a gasp. She hadn't seen in him in years.

"It's been a while," the other figure beside the man whispered humbly.

"Mama!" It was an exclamation of surprise. Then, her eyes narrowed in ire and she asked heatedly, "What are you both doing here?"

Her mother fiddled with her fingers, seemingly unable to look into the redhead's eyes. "Visiting...?"

Anna gave her a funny look in between exasperated and amused. "_Visiting_...?" It rolled off her tongue in pure venom. "After how many years, you have the gall to show up _now_? I can't believe you two!" She knew she shouldn't be so upset about it, seeing as her parents did have lives outside of taking care of her. Maybe it was just that she missed them so much and she'd suffered for so long without them, she just didn't know how to respond to such a sudden occurrence. So, she went for her first instinct; it was a deep and profound rage at being abandoned.

"Anna, dear. It's not like that," her mother said quickly in a placating gesture.

"You ungrateful child," her father hissed. He knew they wouldn't be accepted with open arms after their subsequent absences in their daughter's life, but to be called out on their purpose for being there was unnecessary, especially when the main reason behind their failure in making constant visits was because of the hospital fees. "We can't even drop by and see how you're doing?"

Anna's patience reached its end. "'Drop by', you say?! Dropping by after how long? More than five years! You can't expect me to just say 'Yeah, I've been great', when I've been dying on the inside every single day since then!" she exploded. She didn't know where the words were coming from, but it just kept flowing like an endless river. "And when I finally start to live a little again, you come back and start another _fucking_ storm! I _HATE_ YOU!" She gasped. Had she really just blurted out that she hated them? She must have, if the looks of pain flitting across her parents' faces were any indication. _Oh, no, what did I just say...? I didn't mean that._ It was obviously a "caught in the moment" reaction.

"Why, you!" the man bellowed in rage, swinging his arm back to slap her.

Anna flinched back, her eyes shut as she waited for the hit to come.

"Agdan, no!" the woman interrupted, grabbing her husband's arm. "S-She's right. Anna's right. W-We left her here for so long, it's no wonder she's angry. She has the right to be..."

Anna's mouth hung open. She wanted to say something, but when she tried to, what came out was a strangled cry. Tears began to pool in her eyes, and she watched as the vision of her parents began to lose focus.

Agdan's face was red with unadulterated fury. Grabbing his wife's hand, he stated, "We're leaving, Idun. Anna's got her own problems to deal with."

Idun bit her lip nervously. At the last minute, she dropped the bag she held by her daughter's feet. The look of melancholy never left her features as she seemed to hesitate in front of the redhead, before finally turning and leaving with her husband. She looked like she wanted to say something, but Anna's face full of contempt most likely warded her off.

Anna's breathing was labored as she slumped forward in a hunched posture. Tears flowed uncontrollably down her face as she heard the door creak to a close. Before she knew what was happening, she collapsed into her bed and was sobbing in between hiccups of desperate breaths. "Problems, huh? Damn right, I do," Anna said through gritted teeth.

She pulled the covers over her and she found herself curling into a fetal position by natural instinct. It wasn't even nighttime yet. The lighting hours were still in effect, and the afternoon was still in the middle of turning into evening. She couldn't bring herself to care, though. With tightly shut eyes, she allowed the tears to slip and stain the sheets, her body heaving in silent cries.

**A/N: **Yeah, I'm supposed to be updating SSS, but... Omg, the lack of reviews just _utterly_ kills my motivation... OTL On the bright side, thanks to those who reviewed for the last chapter. You guys totally made me write this 6,000+ word chapter. Feel proud. XD For those of you who knew or guessed Idun was actually Anna's mother, congrats. I had to look that up. :/ According to the tombstones, Agdan and Idun were the names of the king and queen. Anyhow, this was once again pointless fluff with some rising tensions happening in the background. Yes, there are things here left unexplained. We'll get to them as chapters continue to elaborate. Prepare for some drama in the said upcoming chapters, though. Lots of Elsanna in store~ Shocker. Lol.


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